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/ Metallica / Reload (1997) / The Unforgiven II guitar tab

Song: The Unforgiven II
Artist:Metallica
Album:Re-Load
transcribed by:MikeH1982@aol.com

open the file in Courier font for best results


Ok..I got a few requests lately for this song. And I totally know why..The
Unforgiven II is both an INCREDIBLE song, AND its also hard as hell to play
and is a VERY VERY involved song guitar wise, but thankfully, I got my 
trusty Ibanez tape recorder which helps me out when it comes to figuring 
out songs.

First thing I wanna tell ya...there are a lot of 2 different guitar
parts going on at the same time....so whenever you see 2 lines of tab 
connected like this....

/|-----------------------------|
||-----------------------------|
||-----------------------------|
||-----------------------------|
||-----------------------------|
||-----------------------------|
|
|
||-----------------------------|
||-----------------------------|
||-----------------------------|
||-----------------------------|
||-----------------------------|
\|-----------------------------|
...notice the verticle line down the left of the tab. That means to play 
both those lines (seperate guitars) at the same time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

As always in Load and Re-load, tune down guitars 1 half step.

Oh, by the way, whenever theres a part with 2 guitars at the same time, 
like I expalined above...The Part Kirk plays will be on top, and James will
be under it.

Intro (2 guitars-both distortion)
/ |----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |-7------7/9/10---12\10/12----/14\12--10/12\10--10----7\9\10-12\10\12--|
| |----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |-5------5/7/8----10\8 /10----/12\10---8/10\8---8-----5\7\8--10\8-\10--|
|   
| |----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |-2--2---5--------5--------------------------------2-------------------|
| |-2--2---5--------5-----5------2-------2-----------2---------------5---|
| |-0--0---3--------3-----5------2-------2-----------0---------------5---|
\ |-----------------------3------0-------0---------------------------3---|


/ |-----------------|
| |-----------------|
| |-----------------|
| |-/12\7---7/9\7---|
| |-----------------|
| |-/10\5---5/7\5---|
|
| |-----------------|
| |-----------------|
| |----out----------|
| |-----------------|
| |-----------------|
\ |-----------------|


Heres the thing, James uses a B-string bender on his guitar
for that "country" soundin part, you can play it ALMOST like that by
just playin what I got.
 


                                            Light distortion 
/|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
||------------------------------------------------5/10--10-12-13--12^-9-9/-|
||------------------------------------------------2/5----------------------|
||-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
||-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
||-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|
||------0----------------------3---3--3---------------|
||---------1---------------3^------3^-3^--0---1/3\1---|
||----------------------0-------------------0-2/4\2---|
||---2---------------2--------------------------------|repeat throughout
||0-----------0-2-3-----------------------------------|similar stuff
\|----------------------------------------------------|
                         full bend
                                 

..Then start singing the first verse

...Then when he sings "Then I can Understand the you", play the guitar part
that KIRK (and only Kirk) plays in the intro, and at the same time, a 
second guitar (no distortion) plays a strummer of chords, like so...
           (Chord boxes are listed at the top of the page)

                   Am  / / // Cadd9  / / // G  / / // Em  / / // 
"Understand the you"

Play that 2 times. Then....

         "Lay beside...
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------2-----------0---------0---------1---|Repeat that 3 more times
|----2-----------2---------------------------|
|-0-----------3-------------2---------2------|
|------------------------3---------0---------|


Then ya got....

          No, theres no sun...
|-----------------------------------------------------0------|
|--------3-------------1-----------------------1------0------|
|-----2-------------2-------------0---------2---------2------|
|--0-------------3-----------------------3------------2------|
|------------------------------2----------------------0------|
|--------------------------3---------------------------------|



Chorus (distortion)

"What ive.."               "Turn the pages.."
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--0--1-----1--1----1---0--1--0--3----3--3----3--1----1--1---0-|
|--2--2-----2--2----2---2--2--0--0----0--0----0--0----0--0---0-|
|--2--2-----2--2----2---2--2-----------------------------------|
|--0-----X------------X-0--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

...Repeat that line again for the next part of the chorus
then play...

|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|
|----/7--5--4--5----4-------|
|---------------------7\----|
|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|

Repeat the entire thing for the rest of the chorus...

...then, for the next verse...ok, let me explain the next verse..
the next verse, as you should obviously know, has a weird sounding
guitar effect in it. That effect can be produced by taking your
chorus pedal, and turn the SPEED and the DEPTH both up ALL THE WAY.
and, thats how you make the effect.

Next verse
|--8------8------8-------8------7------7------7------7------|
|-10-----10------8-------8------8------8------9------9------|
|-----9------9-------9------9------7------7------9------9---|Repeat for
|-----------------------------------------------------------|entire verse
|-----------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------|

the third time you play that..the 2nd guitar plays..
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------2-----------0---------0---------1---|
|----2-----------2---------------------------|
|-0-----------3-------------2---------2------|
|------------------------3---------0---------|

..then, for the PRE CHORUS ("she'll be there when Im gone"), play...
|-----------------------------------------------------0------|
|--------3-------------1-----------------------1------0------|
|-----2-------------2-------------0---------2---------2------|
|--0-------------3-----------------------3------------2------|
|------------------------------2----------------------0------|
|--------------------------3---------------------------------|

...then ya repeat the chorus....


Ok...im about to type out the solo. Its actually kinda easy for Kirk's
standards.....before I type the solo...i want to tell you what the other
guitar shouls play...

first, when the solo starts, the other guitar plays the intro part 1 and
a half times, then it plays G5 /   / /   E5 / XX X, then it plays the 
chorus part until the solo is finished....just listen to the cd.

Solo
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------5--7----------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------5--7---5\4--5--4h5p4---4----------------17-19^-17----17-|
|-/7----7--7---7-----------------------7----5~~--5-5--/19-----------19----|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------20-------20------20-------20------20--20----20--20---19^--17---17-|
|-19^------19-------19------^19------19^--19-----19-----19-----------19---|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|---------------------------17--------------17--------------17-------17---|
|--20^--20^--20^--20^\--/17----17-20^^\-/17----17--20^\-/17---17-20^---20-|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-17----------------19-17----19-17----19-17----19-17----------------------|
|----19p17-19p17----19-17----19-17----19-17----19-17----17-19-19^-19p17---|
|----------------19-------19-------19-------19-------19----------------19-|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------19--17\-------------------------------------------|
|--17--19^^p17----19--17\------5------------------------------------|
|--------------19----------/7------7--5----5------------------------|
|---------------------------------------7----7--6--5--3----5---3----|
|--------------------------------------------------------5-------5--|

..right after the solo, play the intro part again.
then, play the Jaymz's "country" sounding part (you know what I mean), then
the chorus, and half way through, you hear a part in there (the main part
from the Original Unforgiven), which is played...

(with reverb or some sort of echo)
|---------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|
|--2--4-4h5--5--5-5-4--0-----2--4-4h5--7--5---|
|---------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|

the second time around, you play it....
|----------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------5---|
|--2--4-4h5--5--5-5-4--0-----2--4-4h5--7-------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|


...then the outro is basically just a strummer of chords..Play each chord
in gropus of 2, and keep them spaced out between each chord

                 Am /    G-B /    Asus2  Am    D5 /  Am /  G /   G5 
"unforgiven too"                                                (hold)
                 

....then, afer a second or 2 in silence, you think the song is over, but
then you hear the cymbal, and a little soft sounding thing on the guitar.
it goes like this....

Play this volume swell
|------------------|
|------------------|
|--4^-grad.-bend---|
|--2---------------|
|--0---------------|
|------------------|
in case you dont know what a volume swell is..before you play that chord,
turn the volume knob on the guitar down all the way, play the chord, then 
turn the volume up.

...GUESS WHAT!!! THAT'S THE ENTIRE SONG!!! ITS OVER!! IT'S QUITE A 
CHALLENGING SONG BUT THATS IT!

as always, any questions, comments, death threats, AND NOW REQUESTS, are 
accepted at MikeH1982@aol.com


===============================================================================


The Unforgiven II - Metallica
            Words and Music by Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett


tune down 1/2 step.

Intro:

e-----------------------------------------------------I
b-----------------------------------------------------I
g-2-2-4-5-7\5/7~-/9-7-5/7\5-7-2-4-5-7\5/7~-/7-5-------I
d-----------------------------------------------------I
a-0-0-2-3-5\3/5~-/7-5-3/5\3-5-0-2-3-5\3/5~-/7-3-0h2p0-I
E-----------------------------------------------------I


Verse, version 1:

e----------------------------------------------------------I
b-----3p0-----------8--8-8-------8-----------8-------------I
g---------------5-7-7b9--9r7-5-7-7b9r7-7-5-7-7b9r7-5-5b7---I
d---2----------------------------------------------------5-I
a-0-------0-2-3--------------------------------------------I
E----------------------------------------------------------I


Verse, version2: (perhaps something like this with some effects)

e-5---5---5---5---3---3---3---3---I
b-7---7---7---7---5---5---5---5---I
g-7---7---7---7---5---5---5---5---I
d---7---7---7---7---5---5---5---5-I
a---------------------------------I
E---------------------------------I


End verse:(this sounds wrong but works)

e-----1---------------------------5-I
b-------3-------------------------5-I
g-------------2-3-----------------5-I
d---0-------0---------------------7-I
a-0-------0---------2-3-5---2-3-5---I
E-----------------3-------1---------I


Chorus:

e--------------------------------------------I
b--------------------------------------------I
g-4h5-5-5-5--5p4-4-4-4--5h7-7-7-7--7p5-5-5-5-I
d-5---5-5-5--5---5-5-5--7---7-7-7--7---7-7-7-I repeat once
a--------------------------------------------I
E--------------------------------------------I

e--------------------------------------------------I
b--------------------------------------------------I
g-4h5-5-5-5--5p4-4-4-4--5h7-7-7-7--/7-5-4-5~-4-----I
d-5---5-5-5--5---5-5-5--7---7-7-7--------------7~\-I
a--------------------------------------------------I
E--------------------------------------------------I

Chorus fill in:

e----------------------------------I
b----------------------------------I
g-2-4-5--5--5-5-4-0-----2-4-5--3-5-I
d----------------------------------I
a----------------------------------I
E----------------------------------I


End:

e-----------------------------------------I
b-----------------------------------------I
g-4-5---5-4---4-5---7-4---4-5---7-4-------I
d-5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5-----5-I
a---------------------------------------5-I
E-------------------------------------3---I


Order:

Intro
Verse, version1, 6 times
Intro
Verse, version1, 4 times
End verse
Chorus, 2 times
Intro
Verse, version2, 4 times
End verse
Chorus, 2 times
During solo play Intro once and Chorus once
Intro
Verse, version 1, 3 times
End verse
Chorus, 2 times
Chorus, 2 times with Chorus fill in
End


Lyrics:

Lay beside me, tell me what they've done
Speak the words I wanna hear, to make my demons run
The door is locked now, but it's open if you're true
If you can understand the me, than I can understand the you

Lay beside me, under wicked sky
The black of day, dark of night, we share this paralyze
The door cracks open, but there's no sun shining through
Black hearts scarring, darkness still, but there's no sun shining
through
No, there's no sun shining through
No, there's no sun shining

What I've felt, what I've known
Turn the pages, turn the stone
Behind the door
Should I open it for you?

Yeah, what I've felt, what I've known
Sick and tired, I stand alone
Could you be there, 'cuz I'm the one who waits for you
Or are you unforgiven too?

Come lay beside me, this won't hurt, I swear
She loves me not, she loves me still, but she'll never love again
She lay beside me, but she'll be there when I'm gone
Black heart scarring darker steel, yes, she'll be there when I'm gone
Yes, she'll be there when I'm gone
Dead sure she'll be there

What I've felt, what I've known
Turn the pages, turn the stone
Behind the door
Should I open it for you?

Yeah, what I've felt, what I've known
Sick and tired, I stand alone
Could you be there, 'cuz I'm the one who waits for you
Or are you unforgiven too?

Lay beside me, tell me what I've done
The door is closed, so are your eyes
But now I see the sun, now I see the sun
Yes, now I see it

What I've felt, what I've known
Turn the pages, turn the stone
Behind the door
Should I open it for you?

Yeah, what I've felt, what I've known
So sick and tired, I stand alone
Could you be there, 'cuz I'm the one who waits
The one who waits for you

Oh, what I've felt
Oh, what I've known

I take this key
And I bury it in you
Because you're unforgiven too

Never free
Never me
'cuz you're unforgiven too


Metallica albums
2003 St. Anger
1998 Garage Inc.
1997 Reload
1996 Load
1991 Metallica (Black Album)
1988 And Justice For All
1987 Garage Days Re-Revisited
1986 Master of Puppets
1984 Ride The Lightening
1983 Kill'em All
Reload tabs
01Fuel tabbass tab
02The Memory Remains tabbass tab
03Devil's Dance tabbass tab
04The Unforgiven II tabbass tab
05Better Than You tabbass tab
06Slither tabbass tab
07Carpe Diem Baby tabbass tab
08Bad Seed tabbass tab
09Where The Wild Things Are tabbass tab
10Prince Charming tabbass tab
11Low Man's Lyric tabbass tab
12Attitude tabbass tab
13Fixxxer tabbass tab

 

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